- Joined
- Jul 27, 2016
- Messages
- 3
- Purraise
- 1
We have a 10 y/o dog and cat. They've been best friends for 8 years. Almost 4 weeks ago we brought a new kitten home. I stupidly thought it would be easier to bring a kitten in so it would grow up with the pets rather than an adult who may struggle coming into a home with a cat and a dog. What's done is done...
We let the cats meet each other and saw the older cat got stressed, so I read about slow introductions and we backed WAY off. Keeping them separate, letting them smell items of clothing with one another's scents, allowing them to have their own places, keeping a baby gate between them, letting the kitten come down in a cat carrier while the older cat was around, feeding them snacks together to keep the kitten from pouncing and give them some positive time together, etc.
The older cat is VERY mellow and very cuddly. It's clear he misses spending as much time with us, but I don't feel like I can keep the kitten cooped up in a bedroom all day. I try to let him out while the older cat is sleeping in our room. The kitten is, well... a kitten. He and the dog are now best of friends, wrestling and chasing each other non-stop, but they've developed a rhythm where they stop and rest after they wrestle.
We've tried to let the 2 cats spend supervised time together. I was jumping in and spraying the kitten with water whenever he was pouncing initially because the big cat clearly wasn't interested. He never growled - much too polite - but he'd turn his back and wouldn't look at the kitten. My vet suggested letting them interact a little bit more so they can establish appropriate boundaries. I've been doing that for 5 days and nothing seems to be getting better. The kitten doesn't seem to get the message that the cat isn't interested. He lunges at the cat (like he does when playing with the dog), he chews on the cat's face and neck, bats at his face. The older cat isn't overly aggressive, but seems annoyed. He doesn't just walk away now, he "fights back" by knocking the kitten over and biting him back. There's no growling, no hair is flying. There are some squawks, mostly from the kitten when the cat pins him. Last night the kitten hissed at the cat. The kittens ears are laid back at times. Both are pretty puffed up and their tails are swishing in an annoyed kind of way.
We only let this go on for about 5 minutes. and we are always right there when they are doing this so that if it seems to be getting rough, we squirt water or make a loud noise to break them up. We also give them treats afterward to try to calm them and end on a good note (don't know if that's a good idea or not?).
Am I completely doing this wrong? The last thing I want is to make things worse. The poor dog loves them both and is a nervous wreck when they are "figuring things out". We've been trying to keep her out of it. ANY suggestions are appreciated. I'm really at my wit's end. I really want all of them to feel safe and comfortable in our home.
Thank you so much!
We let the cats meet each other and saw the older cat got stressed, so I read about slow introductions and we backed WAY off. Keeping them separate, letting them smell items of clothing with one another's scents, allowing them to have their own places, keeping a baby gate between them, letting the kitten come down in a cat carrier while the older cat was around, feeding them snacks together to keep the kitten from pouncing and give them some positive time together, etc.
The older cat is VERY mellow and very cuddly. It's clear he misses spending as much time with us, but I don't feel like I can keep the kitten cooped up in a bedroom all day. I try to let him out while the older cat is sleeping in our room. The kitten is, well... a kitten. He and the dog are now best of friends, wrestling and chasing each other non-stop, but they've developed a rhythm where they stop and rest after they wrestle.
We've tried to let the 2 cats spend supervised time together. I was jumping in and spraying the kitten with water whenever he was pouncing initially because the big cat clearly wasn't interested. He never growled - much too polite - but he'd turn his back and wouldn't look at the kitten. My vet suggested letting them interact a little bit more so they can establish appropriate boundaries. I've been doing that for 5 days and nothing seems to be getting better. The kitten doesn't seem to get the message that the cat isn't interested. He lunges at the cat (like he does when playing with the dog), he chews on the cat's face and neck, bats at his face. The older cat isn't overly aggressive, but seems annoyed. He doesn't just walk away now, he "fights back" by knocking the kitten over and biting him back. There's no growling, no hair is flying. There are some squawks, mostly from the kitten when the cat pins him. Last night the kitten hissed at the cat. The kittens ears are laid back at times. Both are pretty puffed up and their tails are swishing in an annoyed kind of way.
We only let this go on for about 5 minutes. and we are always right there when they are doing this so that if it seems to be getting rough, we squirt water or make a loud noise to break them up. We also give them treats afterward to try to calm them and end on a good note (don't know if that's a good idea or not?).
Am I completely doing this wrong? The last thing I want is to make things worse. The poor dog loves them both and is a nervous wreck when they are "figuring things out". We've been trying to keep her out of it. ANY suggestions are appreciated. I'm really at my wit's end. I really want all of them to feel safe and comfortable in our home.
Thank you so much!
I'll definitely switch that order around beginning today.
